During World War II, many Jews, knowing they would likely be deported from their homes, or from the ghettos to which they had been confined, hid their belongings underground or gave them to neighbors for safekeeping—hoping to reclaim them upon their return, and often not realizing how unlikely that return would be. Such was likely the story behind a recent discovery in the Polish city of Lodz, which was the location of one of the Nazis’ largest and longest-standing ghettos. The Times of Israel reports:
About 400 items believed to have been hidden in the ground by their Jewish owners during World War II have been accidentally uncovered during home renovation work in a yard in Lodz in central Poland. History experts say that the objects found in the city’s Polnocna Street include Hanukkah menorahs and items used in daily life; . . . perfume bottles and cigarette holders were also found in the trove, located some 70 centimeters underground.
The stash was found in December, and two of the menorahs were lit on December 22 during Hanukkah celebrations organized by the city’s Jewish community. Some of the items were found wrapped in Polish-, Yiddish-, and German-language newspapers.
The items are mostly silver-plated tableware, menorahs, and glass containers for cosmetics, according to the regional office for the preservation of historic objects. . . . After restoration and cleaning, items found in the trove will be handed over to the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography in Lodz, where researchers will try to determine the identity of the items’ owner.
Read more on Times of Israel: https://www.timesofisrael.com/menorahs-and-tableware-hidden-from-nazis-polish-builders-uncover-jewish-wwii-trove/